


A Real Family

by AzrielWinchester



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Abusive John Winchester, Gabriel is a good dad, Gabriel is still the Trickster, Gen, Hurt Dean Winchester, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Childhood Sexual Abuse, Implied emotional/psychological abuse, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, John will get what's coming to him soon, Protective Gabriel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-26
Updated: 2016-04-26
Packaged: 2018-06-04 17:33:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6667945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AzrielWinchester/pseuds/AzrielWinchester
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gabriel finds himself suddenly a parent to the Winchester boys. And the older of the two is severely traumatized. What's an Archangel to do?</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Real Family

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Whit Merule (whit_merule)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/whit_merule/gifts).



> First Story, please be gentle. Not beta read corrections welcome. Dedicated to the wonderful Whit Merule (whit_merule), who inspired me to finally write this story. Edited 4/28/2016.

I stood just inside the doorway of the two-story cabin that I lived in just outside of  Athens, Ohio.  I was watching the two little boys that I’d rescued last night from the monster that called himself their father.  They were exploring the first floor of the cabin, though I could see the older of the two shooting glances at loft that made up a large portion of the second floor.  My heart ached to comfort them but I had to let it happen on their terms not mine.  Last night had changed all of our lives.

***

I’ll never forget when I found the younger boy, he was sitting outside his preschool at nearly ten o’clock at night.

“Hey, Kiddo. What are you doing out here by yourself so late?” He wore no jacket, just a thin, threadbare t-shirt. His jeans had holes all over them and it looked like he wasn’t wearing any socks with his scuffed-up tennies.

“I’m waiting for my big brother ta pick me up. He’s not usually this late in comin’ ta get me.” He smiled beatifically up at me from his spot on the rickety old bench under the streetlight.

“Alright, well I’m going to call and see if someone can bring you home. I’ll ask if they can figure out where your brother is as well, okay?” I didn’t want to leave him there by himself, because he looked all of four years old, so I called the police department. I sat down next to him in case I had to wait awhile before someone picked him up.

“Hello, Athens PD.  How may I help you?” The young woman who answered the phone sounded like she was tired and stressed and trying to be as polite as possible.

“Hi. I have a four year old boy with curly brown hair, hazel eyes, and tan skin. I found him waiting for his older brother outside the Athens Community Daycare and it’s ten o’clock at night, so I was wondering if there’s an officer available to come pick him up and take him home and if someone could locate his brother that would be fantastic.” I handed the poor kid my jacket, because he was shivering so bad and waited for her response.

“Could you wait with him until someone arrives, all personnel are currently at a crime scene about a block from where you are, they are taking extreme precaution in arresting the suspect and are therefore momentarily unavailable.”  I sighed, there went my quiet evening of eating ice-cream and mulling over the latest adoption I had facilitated.

“Yeah, I can wait with him. I don’t have anything else to do tonight, anyway.” We waited for an hour before the police chief himself showed up to pick the kid, who was by then asleep.

“Hey Kiddo wake up.” He fussed a little bit where he was burrowed into my side, but didn’t fully wake. “Come on you have to wake up and tell…” I paused trying to remember the chief’s name.

“Police Chief Ulysses Burns.” The Chief supplied.

“You have to tell Chief Burns where you live then you can go back to sleep, okay?” He nodded sleepily.

“I live at The Day Star Motel in room 114 on the second floor. Can Mr. Angel come with us, Chief Burns?” He smiled blearily up at the two of us.

“Did ya’ drive here?” I shook my head no in reply to this question. “I’ll give ya’ a lift home, once I drop ‘im off at the hospital.” He gestured for me to get into the passenger seat of his squad car.

“If you don’t mind me asking, why are you taking him to the hospital?” I really hoped that my hunch was wrong.

“ ‘Cause that’s where the victim, the kido’s older brother was taken for treatment.”  Chief Burns huffed slightly. “The kido asleep yet?” He asked as he started to drive towards the hospital.  He seemed jittery and anxious about something and he kept glancing at me from the corner of his eye.

“He’s out like a light,” I smiled slightly as I stroked the poor kid’s hair. “What’s wrong Chief? You seem pretty upset about something.” He huffed a sigh as he turned down the street towards the hospital.

“You got a name, son?” I blinked a little bit at the sudden question. _Why did he need to know that?  Does he think I kidnapped the kid or something?_

“Gabriel, Gabriel D’Veritas, most people call me Gabe.  I work at Ohio University as a guidance counsellor/ social worker. Why?” He sighed and shook his head stopping at a red light. “Am I... a suspect?” The light turned green and I stole a glance at the clock on the dashboard, _11:37pm_.

“No.  But I knew I recognised you from somewhere.  My son, Colin, goes to Ohio U and he says yer the best person to talk to when kids need a home... especially abused and broken ones. That true?”  He shifted uncomfortably in his seat and eased the squad car into the hospital parking lot. Parking in front of the Athens Community Hospital sign, he turned to me and continued talking. “Cause these boys, especially the one that yer about to meet, need a home where they feel safe and loved.  And the older one… well he’s pretty broken. We think the father has been mentally, physically, and sexually abusing him for a long time.” He parked and swallowed, hard.  “He told us that he wanted to be left alone to die but because his little brother still needed him, he had to get better. I’ve never seen someone so dead inside, that the only reason they’re still living is, because someone else is depending on them.”

“I want to take them home tomorrow morning, if possible.” I had never taken kids into my own home with the intention of personally adopting them but I always made sure that home I brought them to was a far better one, than the one they had left behind.  These kids though, they were going to be different, I could feel it in my bones and in my heart.  “Do you have any information on who they are and what their family life was like?  What are their names? And when can I sign the official adoption paperwork? ” We got out of the squad car and I settled the “Kido” against my hip, humming “Hey Jude” when he started to fuss, as we made our way to the hospital room where his brother was being kept for overnight observance.  

I don’t think I’ll ever fully get over the shock of seeing the older boy for the first time and I will be forever grateful that his little brother slept through it all.  He had coppery blonde hair that was matted with grease and sweat and dirt.  His eyes were green with gold speckles, bright  and curiously defiant.  His skin was pale and freckle-peppered but you could hardly tell because of all the dirt and blood, except where the sweat had made streaks down his face, neck, and chest. His bones stuck out and he breathed liked it was a chore to even just do that.  When he looked at me all big eyed and solemn and pleadingly held his arms out for his little brother, I promised myself that whatever may come, I was going to give these boys a real family.

***

**Author's Note:**

> I would like a beta reader, if anyone has some spare time? Also suggestions for how to make my story better are always welcome.


End file.
